ERLANGER, Ky. — A disturbing incident has left some people of color shaken in a northern Kentucky community. Last week a Black homeowner received a racist note left on her front lawn.
Catrena Bowman says it was a normal Wednesday afternoon before she received a phone call that would change everything.
“That’s exactly where it was. When the landscaper came in and he sent me the picture... I was just devastated,” she explained as she walked along the curb where she found the note.
Bowman received a note that included a racial slur and a swastika drawn next to it.
Bowman has been a resident of the Lakemont Neighborhood in Erlanger for six years and says when she first purchased her home, she was happy.
”It was a house that I wanted,” she shared. “I had pictured in my mind that I’d have a two-story living room with a picture wall, big windows, and it was exactly that.”
However, she says during the 2020 election she felt a change in the neighborhood and experienced her first incident, with someone throwing dog feces all over her property. More recently, someone smashed her light post, and now this letter.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data, in 2022, there were 124 hate crimes reported in the state of Kentucky, with 75 of those cases involving race and ethnicity bias. In the northern Kentucky region, the NAACP has taken the initiative to help residents like Bowman navigate hate speech and hate crimes.
President of the Northern Kentucky NAACP Jerome Bowles said, “We try to have a rapid response to those things. It means getting the word out, getting information out, working with law enforcement, making sure the victims who were subjected to the hate have the resources they need to keep themselves safe.”
And in a written statement to Spectrum News 1, Jessica Fette, mayor of Erlanger, said: “We are deeply concerned about the incident targeting a member of our community. Such behavior has no place in our city. We condemn any form of discrimination.
We fully support our police department and trust them to conduct a thorough and proper investigation into this matter. We are committed to ensuring the safety and dignity of all our residents.”
Meanwhile, Bowman has installed cameras at home and says she will be staying put.
“This is my home. I paid for this home I’ve done what it takes to be a homeowner,” she said. “I have a right to be here, just like anybody else. And I’m not going to let them push me out.”